Statement
by
of
Antigua and Barbuda
at the
Fifty-Fifth United Nations General Assembly
Mr. President
Let me first of all congratulate you
on your unanimous election to the mantle of leadership of the world's foremost
international body. You are presiding in this the last year of the present
century, and following the profound commitments manifested at the Millennium
Summit. We look forward in eager anticipation to the implementation of the
Summit pledges, as small states are becoming more and more disillusioned with
the actual manifestations and the selectivity of the United Nations.
Permit me to offer congratulation to
your predecessor, who, as we know, comes from a recently independent country. A
country which had to struggle in order to be entrusted with the management of
its own affairs. In him we saw a genuine attempt to move toward some
equilibrium in the August body. As such, my country applauds his efforts, but
we are still awaiting the day when small countries will receive the respect due
to sovereign states. Our statement this year is deliberately short, hoping that
you will concentrate on the myriad of problems with which we are plagued.
Small States do not equate with
small problems. In reality, the reverse is often the norm, particularly when
the state in question is still on the periphery, the periphery of the dominant
industrial entities. In the case of my country, peripheral existence emerged in
the post-Columbian era, when along with other Caribbean countries we became
colonies of exploitation as opposed to colonies of settlement. Mercantilism
demanded our production of agricultural commodities, whether indigo, cotton or
sugar cane, it was a monoculture designed solely and purposely for the
betterment of the mother country at the expense of the colonies. But, the
question, no doubt, is being asked as to why am I raising the issue here. It is
precisely because the lingering reality is that we are sometimes moved to ask
ourselves if we are still victims of the Robinson Crusoe mentality. To be a
colony of exploitation meant that the entity was an area of underdevelopment.
An underdevelopment which meant that we were to remain in that state into
perpetuity, if we were to fulfill the precise conditions of exploitation.
Throughout history smaller entities
have been, as it were, invisible. We
do not have small problems. How could that be the case when nuclear
waste is still being transhipped through our waters despite numerous and
repeated protests, pleas and entreaties. We have a problem with the World Trade
Organisation which rules in favour of the interests of multinational enterprises
and the countries benefiting from the operations of these enterprises. The
Windward Island producers of bananas were at a total disadvantage as they could
not afford to pay the cost for adequate representation before the WTO. In 1896
the silver throated orator, William Jennings Bryan, stood up in California and
asked the question as to whether mankind should be crucified upon a cross of
gold. Today, we must ask if Windward Island humanity is to be snuffed out on a
bed of yellow fruit, thereby sending a ripple effect throughout CARICOM
culminating in depravation, degradation, depression, and the severest forms of
dehumanisation.
At the Millennium Summit Round Table, one spent much time talking about globilisation, without dealing with the fundamental reality of the said globilisation, and that is the so-called "free trade." In modern history there has never been free trade. It has been advocated, encouraged, and even preached about. John Bright and Richard Cobden have been acclaimed for their "Gospel of Free Trade," but it has not been a reality. In the nineteenth century it was propelled by the industrial and maritime countries which stood to benefit from it. In the twentieth century it has emanated from the dominant states, and the statistics demonstrate that it has wrought havoc on most of the developing world. This has been primarily as a result of selfishness, and the unwillingness to listen to and accept the concerns of those who suffer most from it. Yes, we benefit from the expanded use of the Internet, of the greater access to education, and the ability to travel abroad more frequently. But we have been hurt by extraordinary pressures to control our economic advancement, whether by the influence of multinational enterprises or by maritime activity which both depletes our resources and pollutes our environment. Instead of advancing our nutritional state, the statistics again show that poverty has spread, and the sick in poor countries cannot access the medicines needed to improve the health of the societies. If we are to have globilisation, let us recognise its imperfections and address them meaningfully. Let us not preach "do as I say but not as I do”.
Globilisation "does not"
have a human face. We continue to hear about the opportunities for the
developing countries, but we are still waiting for the benefits to be made
manifest. While we wait, we would like to remind this body that we remain
disappointed that the International Criminal Court will not be dealing with
illegal trafficking in narcotics, illegal trade in arm and terrorism. Let us be heard. Let us be seen.
We do not have small
problems.
At the Millennium Summit, my Prime Minister, Lester Bryant Bird, clearly demonstrated how the world's economic and political agenda is devised and directed by a few of its most powerful governments. He stated that Antigua and Barbuda as well as several other small countries, have experienced the most blatant disregard for international law; "rules that have been spelled out by the United Nations General Assembly and upheld by the International Court of Justice."
The principle now is "might is
right." The Prime Minister pointed out that all of this is being done by
the OECD which believes that its states will lose capital to other states
because of their more competitive tax regimes. They have gone further by
dubbing tax incentives "Harmful Tax Competition" and linking it most
unfairly with money laundering, even when there is no evidence for the charge.
My country has voluntarily agreed to contribute more for peacekeeping even with
our straffed finances, as we accept our role as a contributor to the welfare of
the globe. We would likewise hope that the dominant be fair to us.
Mr. President
I can go on and on with our
difficulties, and our victimization primarily due to our pusillanimous nature.
For the first time in several years we have not elaborated on natural
disasters. By now all members of the United Nations should know of our plight.
We would, however, wish to speak on a decolonisation issue.
Antigua and Barbuda has followed
closely the "Question of Western Sahara," and even though we do not
have an international intelligence system, we are calling for an implementation
of the referendum, as the signals for renewed violence if the United Nations
does not carry out its pledge are quite clear. We do not wish to see, once again;
the carnage witnessed in East Timor.
The conflict as it has been underlined through resolutions of the United Nations, the Organisation of African Unity, and the Non-Aligned States, must be resolved through the exercise of the Saharawi people of their right to self-determination. The international community has for decades adopted this legal framework as a basis for a just and durable solution to the conflict.
We believe
that the referendum can be organised before next year, and we are calling for
such, we do not wish another situation with the outbreak of violence.
Mr.
President
Let me sum up with a few things that Antigua
and Barbuda would like to see at the United Nations.
- We would
like to press for the ending of "selective" multilateralism and the
incorporation
of "genuine multilateralism."
-We desire
to have a reform process expanded beyond the Secretariat and be practiced.
among all
countries of the organisation. Reform should not connote expansion, but
restructuring.
-The
principle of rotation on the major decision-making bodies, particularly
ECOSOC,
should become a reality.
-That the
concept of Globalization be viewed in its entirety, and a study be done of
its effects
on developing countries.
-That the
GNP not be used as the sole criteria for graduating a state from
concessionary
loans, and that the Vulnerability Index on which Antigua and Barbuda
is ranked
very high, be taken into consideration.
-That the
principle of "the equality of sovereign states" be used to guard
against the
marginalisation
of states within the United Nations system.
-That the
countries pledged to contribute 0.7 of their ODA, carry out their
commitment
in this regard.
-That
there be some form of equity in regard to geographic groupings within the
United
Nations. Whereas we understand the reasons why the existing groups were
created,
the time has come wherein/whereby we should have a more equitable
arrangement.
-That the
nations comprising the United Nations become truly united.
Mr.
President
Antigua and
Barbuda will continue to fulfill its obligations to its citizens and to this
body. We recognise the benefits that we accrue from our involvement in this
parliament of parliaments. We have benefited and will continue to benefit from
the programmes of the various bodies and agencies of this August body. We are,
however, confident that we have contributed toward global progress, and we
remain ready to continue our contribution to the United Nations.
Thank You, Mr. President.